


Guardian

by aewgliriel



Category: Star Wars Legends: Legacy of the Force Series - Aaron Allston & Troy Denning & Karen Traviss
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 19:49:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6485278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aewgliriel/pseuds/aewgliriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Jacen Solo's funeral, Kyp keeps watch over Jaina.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Guardian

He's not her guardian. Not officially. He knows this, but can't help finding himself sitting on the floor outside her door, after her brother's funeral, an echo of the night he did the same after Anakin's death. She's not asleep. He can hear her pacing inside, and the occasional weeping reaches him through the door.

Kyp knows he probably shouldn't be here, keeping watch, but there's nowhere else for him to be right then. He's not her master, hasn't been for over ten years, never truly was in the first place. But she's his friend, and he hers, and even if she'll never reciprocate the feelings he's tried so hard to bury, he's here for her should she need him. He'll help pull her back to the light. It's what he does.

There's a sound near the door, and he realises she's standing just on the other side. He's done nothing to hide his presence, but he's done nothing to call attention to it, either. A moment later, though the locked door is between them, he knows she's sat down, her back to his.

His commlink chirps. He looks and sees a text message.

_Why are you sitting outside my door?_

Kyp smirks, shakes his head.  _You know why. You need anything?_

A long moment goes by. _My brothers back._

He sighs. _That one is beyond my powers, Sticks. I'm sorry._

There's a flash of anger through the door, not directed at him, precisely. _Everyone says that. They weren't there. They don't KNOW._

Kyp stares at the words for a while. He knows. He knows better than just about anyone could. _I know. I wish I could tell you that it gets better. It just gets... Duller. Like a deep bruise instead of a stab wound._

There's a pulse of grief from her. _Did you have to use that particular phrase?_

He winces. Of course. She'd shoved her lightsaber through Jacen's heart. _Wasn't thinking, sorry._

_It's okay._

Kyp leans his head back against the door. He doesn't know what to say. He's already talked to her some about fratricide, while she was in the infirmary. But tonight, she seems more vulnerable than she had then, and then had been pretty damn vulnerable.

 _You wanna talk?_ he sends.

_Not really._

_Okay._

She says, _You should go sleep._

_When you do._

_I feel I'm never going to sleep again._

_I know._

Then he hears her crying again. Kyp hates to hear it, doesn't know how to comfort her. She's not his _to_ comfort the way she needs. And where _is_ Head of State Fel, anyway? He'd seen the man earlier at the funeral, but not since.

 _You want me to track down Jag?_ he inquires.

There's a pause in her crying. Then she sends, _No. We had a fight. He's gone back to Bastion._

_You break up again?_

_We weren't really back together._

That surprises him. Jag had been the one to carry Jaina away after- After. He knows they've spent a great deal of time together in recent months. He'd just assumed they'd picked up where they'd left off.

_He left. I needed him and he left._

Kyp stares at the words, feeling her anguish through the Force. He's not surprised at Jag's callousness. He's seen it before, wanted to punch him then as much as he does now.

He stands, presses his hand to the door. "Open the door."

"Why?" comes her muffled reply.

"Just open the door, Goddess. Please."

A few moments pass. Then a minute. Two. Five. Just as he thinks about sitting down again, the lock disengages and the door slides open. Jaina is a mess, eyes red and face puffy from crying, hair tangled. There are purple smudges under her dark eyes, and she's so pale.

She doesn't speak, so he does.

"He left. He does that a lot. But I'm still here. I've always been here, and I'm always going to be here. Partners, remember?"

She looks down at the commlink she's still holding, then back at him. Her smile is just a brief flash of upturned corners, but it's enough.

"Partners," she agrees, and steps back to let him in.


End file.
